Bluebonnets 2011

While out and about this morning I came across this home that has allowed the Bluebonnets to blossom where they are planted. It was an unusual sight for this neighborhood. They sure were pretty.

AB What?

As a Realtor I hand out lots of business cards. I also receive many cards. On the cards people tend to follow their names with degrees or designations in the form of abbreviations.


In the real estate world they are mostly designations. It is not unusual to find a whole string of abbreviations on some cards. I have seen cards where the name itself gets lost in the reading of the long list of designations strung behind it.

Although those designations are significantly relevant in the world of real estate the public at large does not necessarily know their meaning. To some they may appear as ABC's in Greek not knowing their meaning. Here's an example of one. On my card I have the designation GRI following my name.


The GRI designation represents Graduate, Realtor Institute. It indicates that I have completed a specialized course on residential real estate through the Realtor University presented by the National Association of Realtors. The course provides an in-depth look into the areas of brokerage, marketing and finance.


Other popular designations are ABR, Accredited Buyers Representative, CRS, Certified Residential Specialist or SFR, Short Sales & Foreclosures Resource. This is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of designations. If you would like further information on a designation for Realtors or how to become a Realtor please feel free to contact me directly with your questions.

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.

Making a Home Available

Today I was reading a blog from ActiveRain regarding 24 Hour Notices on showings. Upfront I would like to say that I agree with the author for the most part, well completely. If a seller wants to sell their home and be proactive about it they will make the home available for the buyers suitable to the buyers’ schedule and not theirs.

But, like everything else in life, there is a but. Once a home is listed circumstances can and do occur that would make it reasonable to block a set period of time or perhaps a day or two. Lots of reasons could happen to make this blocking of time a necessity. The seller or someone in the household might be suffering from an acute illness. Or perhaps the seller needs to make some necessary repairs to the home. I am sure you can think of any number of reasons it might happen.



In Collin County, our local showing service recently introduced a new feature for agents. It is simply called “blocking”. The feature enables the listing agent to block specific dates/times when the seller is just not available to have their homes shown. I like the new feature. I like the ease of using it. I have already had a couple of situations that required the use of the feature. I think it is one more feature that represents a plus for the many services Realtors provide to their sellers.



I am all for the feature of blocking as life happens. I am even more for having sellers who are eager to sell and will be fully cooperative when it comes to showing their homes to potential buyers. In the end I am all for what represnts the best for our sellers.

SPRING ~ All Things New

photograph courtesy of Sharon Chapman Muir



Spring officially arrives on Sunday, March 20th yet we are already enjoying its many blessings. The trees are bursting anew with their foilage as flowers open in glorious blossoms within our gardens. The air is alive with new life everywhere. Like the hummingbird, maybe you are thinking about buying a new house to call home. Whether you are expecting a new addition to your family or just looking for more space to sprawl now is a great time to consider buying a new home.

Daylight Savings

Yeah! It's here! Spring FORWARD!  An extra hour of delight - I mean daylight. Next Sunday, March 20th will be the official first day of Spring. You wouldn't know it though by the absolutely gorgeous day in Dallas today.




If I had to pick a favorite time of the year it would be Spring, more specifically, the day we get to add an hour of daylight to the end of our day. I love it! Well, except for the year I forgot and showed up to work an hour early. That's another story. Now I think of it as a bonus hour for Realtors since it provides us an extra hour of evening showing time.



It is amazing all the things I think I will accomplish with this bonus daylight hour. I enjoy spending more time outdoors whether walking in the beautiful parks, visiting the flowering gardens or just soaking up the sunshine at the local Sonic Drive-In. What will you do with your extra hour of daylight?

If you don't want to miss the first day be sure to turn your clocks forward one hour prior to going to sleep tonight unless you are a late-night owl then you can set your clocks at the official time of 2:00 am.



Oh, happy days...

Sink Draining Slowly ~ Here's a Tip!

We’ve all read various remedies and household fixes for those basic repairs around the home but seldom do we opt to try them ourselves. In our household we had an issue with a slow draining sink. While out taking care of the grocery shopping, I recalled a helpful hint that vinegar and baking soda could be used to help resolve a slow draining sink. An additional benefit to this remedy is that it is not harmful to the plumbing or the environment.



Try it yourself: Pour some baking soda directly onto the drain. Pour vinegar so that it will run to the drain covering the baking soda. When the vinegar comes into contact with the baking soda it will foam. Apply more vinegar each time the foaming stops until all the baking soda appears to be washed down the drain. Next flush the drain with hot water.



Some drains may require more than one application or a small object may be needed to help remove loosened debris from the drain.

Tuesday Morning is Now in MURPHY, TX

Tuesday, March 1, 2011 is the grand opening of the retail store, Tuesday Morning in Murphy, Texas. The retail giant is known for its upscale closeout merchandise and wonderful items for making a house feel like home.


Tuesday Morning has over 800 store locations across the nation. Or you can come join the residents of Murphy and celebrate the opening of their newest store in town. Expect to go shopping often as they have new merchandise arriving weekly.

The store's location is on the north side of Murphy Road in the shopping center at FM544 and Murphy Road only a couple of doors down from Country Burger. See you there!